Process for production of sulfuric acid in lead chambers.



T. C. OLIVER.

PROCESS FOR' PRODUCTION OF SULFURIC ACID IN LEAD CHAMBERS. APPLICATION FILED "5.1. m1.

1,229, 3 1 6. Patented June 12 1917.

m: NUIIIS Flrllu ca, momurmz, wumuarun; A c4 THOMAS C. OLIVER, OF CHARLOTTE, NORTH, GAROLINA.

PROCESS FOR PRODUCTION OF SULFUBIC ACID IN LEAD CHAMBERS.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented June 12, 191 '7 Application filed February 7, 1917. Serial No. 147,203.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS C. OLIVER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Charlotte, in the county of Mecklen urg and State of North Carolina, have invented a new and useful Improved Process for Production of Sulfuric Acid in Lead Chambers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to apparatus for use in the production of sulfuric acid in lead chambers. It is a well known fact that various cooling means have heretofore been devised for use in connection with the chamber process of acid production but the cooling apparatus used has generally beenob jectionable because of the cost involved in the installation and operation thereof.

One of the objects of the present inveni tii'n is to provide cooling means which can be readily installed, does not require the use of an intricate or expensiveapparatus, will effectively cool the contents of the chamber, and can be regulated readily to give the most eiiective cooling action.

With the foregoingland other objects in view which will appear as the description roceeds, the invention resides in the com Eination and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that chan es in the precise embodiment of the invention herein disclosed, can be made within the scope of what is claimed, without departing from the spirit of the invention. In the accompanying drawings the preferred form of the apparatus has been illustrated.

In said drawings Figure 1 is a vertical section through the apparatus. a

ig.-2 is a section online 2--2 Fig. 1. Fig. '3 is an enlarged vertical section through a portion of the reservoir and adjacent parts.

Fig. 4 is anenlarged seetion on line H eferring to. the figures by characters of reference l designates'the chamber of the apparatus having lead walls 2 suitably :Eas tened. to spacin and supportin columns 3 which are attae ed in any ilcsirer manner to the walls 4 of the housing; or building in which the chamber is located. The chamber is provided with the usual conical top 5 to the apexof which is extended the gas inlet pipe 6. A gas outlet ipe 7 extends from the lower portion 0% the chamber.

The housing or building dis extended overmunicate at their upper ends through the space 10between dome 5and the top of housing 4 with the flue or outlet 8.

'A reservoir 11 is arranged in the lower portion ofthe housing or building t and the ower portions of the lead walls 2 are ex tended inwardly and downwardly into the reservoir as shown. A partition 12 extends outwardly from the upper edge of the Wall of the reservoir to the wall of the housing or building 4 so that an annular space 1.3"is thus provided around the reservoir. This space is in communication"with a blower casing 14 through a flue 15. Outlet openings 10 are formed in the partition 12 below each of the passages 9 and each of these openings is adapted to be partly or entirely closed by adamper 17 which can be of any construction desired and which can besupported in partly open position by a toothed. segment 18 or by any other suitable means.

The wall of the housing orbuilding 4 is also provided close to the partition 12 with openings 19, one of these openings being preferably provided for each of the passages 9. By means of these openings air can be admittcd' to the lower ends of the passages from 'theoutside of the apparatus Each opening 19 has a damper 20 for controlling the flowofairtheretlirough. This damper may be held in opcnf pbsition in any suitable manner, as by means cf, links 21':-

.It is to be understood that gas isdirected through the lead" chamber in the usual manner and cooling ofthe contentsofthe chambar is effected'by-tlie circulation of air betwceuthe wall of the housing or building l. and the lead'walls 2 of the chamber 1. [It is a well. known fact thatwhen .air is used as a cooling medium its effici ncy is dependcut upon its velocity. For example if, at a velocity of 2 feet per second, the transmission coefficient is 1, under the same conditions the coefiicient will be 4 when the velocity is 15 feet per second. In other words when the air is traveling 15 feet per second it will be four times as efiicient as a cooling medium than if traveling at a velocity of 2 feet per second. It is upon this basis that the present cooling arrangement has been devised. When the atmospheric conditions permit it the dampers 20 are opened and the cool air from the surrounding atmosphere will be drawn through these openings and into the respective passages 9 through which it will flow upwardly at a hi h'velocity due to the draft set up. Thus file contents of the chamber will be quickly and effectively cooled without requiring the installation of expensive and intricate cooling apparatus. Where the atmospheric conditions will not permit theuse of the outside air asa cooling medium, the dampersQOca'n be closed and dampers 17 opened, whereupon by actuating the blower in the casing 14, aircan be forced into the annular chamber 13 which will distribute it to the various o" enings '16 thus causing the air to be supp ied tothe various passages 9 through which it will rushat the desired velocity to the draft pipe or flue 8. Obviouslyif. desired-both" sets of dampers 20 and 17 can, be opened at the same time. By adjusting .the dampers. a

proper amount of cooling air can be intro duced to the passages 9.

What is claimed is f 1. Apparatus for use in the production of sulfuric acid, including a chamber having lead Walls, a housing extending around'and over said chamber and. providing separate air passages along the outer surface of the wall of the chamber, an outlet flue in communication with the upper ends of the passages, and means for directing air into the lower ends of the passages.

2. Apparatus for use in the production of sulfuric acid, including a chamber having lead walls, and air passages extendinglalong the outer surfaces of said walls and having inlets at their lower ends and an outlet at their upper ends.

3. Apparatus for use in the production of sulfuric acid, including a lead chamber, a

' housing inclosing the chamber and forming air passages extending along the outer surface of the Walls of the chamber, said passages being provided with air inlets at. their lowerends, and an outlet flue in communication with the upper ends ofthepassages whereby a natural draft is created through -the passages and along the walls of the chamber.

4,. Apparatus for use in the production of sulfuric acid in lead chambers, including a reservoir, a housing surroundin extending upwardly alon the outer surface of the walls of the lead 0 amber, means for controllin communication between the annular air space and the lower ends of the respective air passages, means for directing air under pressure into the annular air space, and an outlet flue in communication with the upper ends of the air passages.

5. Apparatus for use in the production of sulfuric acid, including a lead chamber, a housing surrounding said chamber and forming separate air passages extending upwardly along the outer surface of the walls of the lead chamber, a reservoir at the lower end of said chamber, there being an annular air space about the reservoir, said passages having openings adjacent the lower ends thereof for establishing communication with the externalatmosphere and with the annular air space, separate means for controlling the passage of air through the respective openings, and means for directing roduction of the walls-of the chamber.

,8. Apparatus for use in the production of sulfuric acid, including a lead chamber, and

separate means for setting up a natural and air under pressure into the annular air forced circulation of air respectively along Ehe outer surface of the walls of the chameri I I. r

9. In apparatus for use inthe production of sulfuric acid, the combination with a housing, of a lead chamber therein and spaced therefrom, spacing elements extending between the housing and chamber and forming separate air passages extending along the outer surface of the walls-of the chamber, a draft flue extending upwardlyfrom the top cf the housing and in communication with the upper ends of said air passages, there being air inlet openings in the wall of the housing and close to the lower ends of the air passages, and means for controlling the flow of air through said openings and into the passages.

10. In apparatus for use in the production of sulfuric acid, the combination with a lead chamber, of a housing surrounding the same, spacing and supporting means interposed between the houslng and the walls of the chamber and forming separate air In testimony that I claim the foregoing assages, a draft fiueextending upwardly as my own, I have hereto afiixed my sig 10 mm the housing and in communication nature in the presence of two witnesses.

with the upper ends of the passages, there '5 beinfiiopemngs for the admission of air to THOMAS OLIVER the wer ends of the respective passages, Witnesses:

and means for controlling the flow of air ROBERT A. CARAVAN through said openings. i THos. F. Manna.

copies of this patent may be obtained 1dr five cents each; by, addressing the "Gommlnlonu ot ratentl,

Washington, D. 0. 

